El Tango De Fitz
by MustacheYouAQuestion
Summary: Aria Montgomery never expected to fall in love with the romantic Argentine Tango; or her very charming dance instructor. Ezria AU.
1. Chapter 1

**El Tango De Fitz**

"Jake, I've been waiting for twenty minutes. Where _are_ you?" Aria Montgomery stood at the entrance of the Rumba Zumba Dance Company, yelling into her cell phone at her very unpunctual boyfriend. This was typical Jake- all talk about how he couldn't wait to sweep her off her feet on the dance floor, hearts beating in time to the Spanish violin-

And then not show up.

She heard him sigh on the other end agitatedly, noisily chewing his gum. "Babe, I already told you I had stuff to do today."

"You most certainly did not." Aria knew it was silly, but a wave of angry tears filled her eyes. She had been looking forward to this class for two weeks, but as usual, it hadn't mattered to Jake. He never showed interest in her interests, even when Aria compromised to suit his high demands. Now, she was standing outside the door to a studio filled with couples ready to learn the tango, and she was the only one without a partner.

"How could you, Jake? All I wanted was an hour of your time." Aria couldn't stand talking to him anymore. In spite, she hit the end button on the call and chucked it into her open bag. Teeth gritted and face flushed with embarrassment, Aria turned and trudged into the studio, ready to ballroom dance without a man to lead her.

About six or seven couples were in the room, either stretching on the floor or chatting with others. Aria made her way to the back, feeling insignificant and rather awkward. She had taken dance classes as a teenager, but had never studied anything even remotely close to Tango, unless you counted a brief lesson of the Cha Cha Slide.

She sat on the floor and stretched both legs in front of her, then leaned to touch her toes and press her forehead into her knees. It was one of the upsides of being small- it was a great deal easier to stretch.

She looked up then, but jumped, surprised to see that there was now a woman squatting before her. She had inky black hair and almond-shaped brown eyes- she was a Spanish beauty.

"You have wonderful flexibility," the woman commented to Aria, smiling a dazzling white smile. Aria assumed she was the class instructor. "But where is your partner?"

Aria blushed again, frowning slightly. "He couldn't make it." _He never could._

_"_And yet, you're still here." The instructor nodded. "Shows dedication. I like that."

The woman stood then with a rare kind of grace, before gliding her way to the from of the studio. The long skirt she was wearing was slit so it exposed a part of her leg, and her high ballroom shoes were red satin. She looked ready to be on stage.

"Hello everyone, and welcome. My name is Angelina, and I'm your instructor."

As the welcome speech began, Aria took the time to glance around the studio. A few of the couples were middle aged, another were teenagers, but the rest appeared to be a little older than Aria. She felt very out of place and worried that she would look ridiculous not having a partner, but that was until she saw _him_.

A tall, slim and slightly built man stood off against the wall, alone, just like Aria. The first thing she noticed was the adorable curls that topped his head- then the tightness of his arms. Aria observed the man carefully, taking in every inch of his appearance. The diamond blue eyes, the precisely cut jaw- he was beautiful.

Her eyes roamed his stature, taking in just how well his outfit looked on him. Black dress pants and a form fitting white T-shirt. Aria gulped, legitimately salivating over his beauty. This charm- not just the physical appeal, but the aura of mystery in his beautiful blue eyes made him enchanting. Maybe Aria was being dramatic. Maybe Jake had lowered her expectations of men.

Angelina clapped her hands then, and Aria snapped back to attention. Angelina observed the class, then much to Aria's horror asked, "who here does not have a partner?"

Aria blushed a deep red and slowly raised her hand. Everyone in the room turned to look at her. She heard murmurs as they pondered about why she would come to a couple's ballroom class- _single_.

"Great. You will go with Ezra."

Aria gulped, glancing around for this "Ezra" that she would soon be chest to chest with. It took her seconds to realize that this Ezra was the man she'd been silently checking out not moments ago, and for a second, she was paralyzed- it would be wrong to dance so intimately with some other guy than Jake, especially since she was so attracted to _this_ guy. But that was when a second thought occurred to her-

_Revenge_.

Aria smirked, pleased with herself for being so clever. She nodded to Angelina and smiled a bright, white smile, then as if she had all the confidence in the world, walked straight towards Ezra.

"Hi," she said to him, "I'm Aria."

Ezra watched her carefully, his beautiful lips turning up into a small, crooked grin. He extended a hand towards her, casting a whiff of sweet-smelling body wash over her. "It's nice to meet you."

He was spellbinding. As his warm, smooth hand met hers, Aria nearly gasped at the strength and stability of his arm. It felt as though he could hold her forever and never tire- as if he had everlasting grace. Aria stared into his captivating blue eyes, dumbfounded, feeling as if nothing else was ongoing in the room.

She had _never_ experienced this form of attraction before. Not with Jake, not with any other man.

Angelina clapped again, and Aria reluctantly broke her eyes from Ezra's. He released her hand and they both turned to Angelina. She was now standing with her partner, a young man that was obviously trained in ballroom from the very posture of his stance.

"We are going to start with a basic stance," she instructed. "I want you to really get the feel of your partner's hold on you. Find an equilibrium." Angelina stood in front of her partner, and she wrapped one hand around his shoulder as his hand hooked around her ribs. The duo tilted their chins up, chest to chest, never looking each other in the eyes. Their arms were stretched to the side, hands locked together.

"Do as we do." The man instructed, and Aria's heart skipped a beat at the thought of being that close to Ezra.

"Have you ever tried Tango?" Ezra's voice said suddenly.

Aria shook her head, feeling sheepish. What if he thought she was too puny to dance with? Did she smell bad?

"I've done jazz, contemporary, and tap. Never Latin." Her breath hitched as Ezra steeped towards her, fingers taking her hands into his. She rushed to put her arms in the right spots, but failed and bumped her wrist against his neck. Humiliated, she blushed again and looked anywhere but his eyes.

Ezra did nothing but smile. With his soft, warm hand, he gently grasped her wrist and placed it right beside his neck, on his shoulder. Aria popped her elbow to a straight bend, like Angelina. Then, Ezra tugged her close. Really close. As in, every time she inhaled, her chest would touch him. And finally, Aria quivered as she felt his strong hand at the back of her ribs.

She tilted her chin up to find his eyes.

"Like this?" She asked, straightening her back and popping one knee.

Ezra nodded, his sweet breath on her face. "You're perfect."

It was in a sense that her _position_ was perfect, and she knew that, but it didn't stop her heart from fluttering anyways.

"I take it you've had tango experience?" Aria was nervous, watching as Angelina began to describe the basic tango rhythm.

T-a-n-g-o.

Ezra grinned again. "Only eight years."

Aria gulped again. "You aren't a student, are you?"

Without warning, Ezra stepped forward on his right foot, causing Aria to step back on her left. She glanced down between their bodies at their feet, then back up to Ezra's eyes again.

"Nope, but you already seem to know how this goes." He took another step, sending her back another, then took three quicker, smaller steps. Aria followed, letting him lead. All she could feel was his presence, guiding her where to go next. "Are you sure _you're_ a student?"

Aria beamed, pleased with herself for managing to grasp the steps so quickly. Her body tingled with the thought that she'd been able to impress him.

"So why aren't you _teaching_ the class?" she asked as Ezra took another three steps, this time being a little less gentle. More direct. She struggled to keep up, but wanted desperately to be able to keep impressing him. Something about him being more experienced- teaching her the way of the dance made in really, _really_ hot.

Ezra suddenly stopped, and all at once switched feet with a swing of the heel. At the same time, he slid his hand down her back and pulled her abdomen flush against his, and she instinctively raised her knee so it rested against his hip. It was a traditional tango pose- but Aria felt nothing besides a wave of impeccable lust.

"I like being on the floor," Ezra answered, chest rising and falling and pressing into hers. "I'm more of a hands-on teacher."

Aria hadn't noticed the music that had been playing. She hadn't noticed the couples around her still frantically trying to keep up with the basic steps Angelina had taught them- a few pairs seeking to out-do Aria and Ezra, the partners that had just met and so far were the best in the class. It appeared as though the world had stopped, the only thing remaining was the sensation of Ezra's arms around her.

Aria dropped her leg, and looked at him. Ezra was still smirking at her.

"You're fantastic," he complimented, removing his hand from her back. She missed the warmth. "You've already got the rhythm and technique."

Aria blushed, but this time it wasn't from humiliation. "Well, you kind of pushed me into doing it right."

"I saw the potential in you," he bit his lip and stared at her for a moment, before turning around to look at Angelina.

Giving her some sort of message, Angelina suddenly stopped the music playing by hitting the remote. She then silenced the class, and looked to Aria.

"Look at Aria," she said, pointing to Aria across the room. "Watch her posture."

Ezra chuckled at her wide eyes, then grabbed her hand.

"Come on," he whispered, pulling her into standing position. The music began to play, and Aria realized it was _El Tango De Roxanne _from _Moulin Rouge._ She had heard it before, and the familiar rhythm helped her as Ezra began to lead her again.

Step, step, step-step-step. Step, step, step-step-step. Step, step, switch legs, shoot out heel, pop shoulder, Ezra pulls her closer, and she bends her knee at his hip.

Ezra squeezed her back proudly, setting her back on her feet as she caught her breath. Aria looked around at the faces staring shocked at her, and blushed yet again when they applauded. She smiled, looking at Ezra.

He was such a good teacher.

"And that, is what I want to see perfected for next week," Angelina said, tilting her head in Aria's direction. "Practice!"

Ezra reached for Aria's hand again. "I want to try something different this time," he said as they made their way to the corner of the studio. Aria self-consciously adjusted her dance shorts. "When you step backwards, flick your heel like this." Ezra shot out his calf to the side and crossed it in front of his other leg, heel still off the floor.

Aria mimicked the action as best as she could. Ezra nodded, pleased. He nonchalantly placed a hand on her waist and they did the twist at the same time, feet landing in perfect synchronization beside one other.

"Excellent." He took her hand and they went back to the start, replacing their walks with heel-pops. During the last walk, she pushed out with his arm, and she immediately knew to turn. She spun, returning to the final pose. Aria smiled and laughed, filled with pride and happiness. Ezra held her for another moment, staring at her with the most beautiful gaze she'd ever experienced. Her mouth was dangerously close to his, another inch and she'd be kissing him. She wanted to. She had never felt so electric- so confident. Dancing with Ezra made her feel excitedly alive. She wanted to dance with him forever.

"You've done this before, you liar," he whispered, slowly releasing his grip on her, smiling. "Either you've done this, or you're the best dancer I've ever met."

Aria retracted her hand from his taut shoulder, letting her fingers brush against his chest for a moment. She wasn't even aware of her teasing.

"Maybe you're the best teacher," she was biting her lip again.

"Maybe I am."

Aria laughed, and suddenly felt overwhelmed by him. His face was so close and she had never seen something that looked as delicious as his lips.

Just as she leaned towards him, they were interrupted by the clapping hands of Angelina. Aria snapped out of her trance, embarrassed, and then turned from Ezra altogether.

_What was she doing?! They were in a room full of people! They had just met! She had a boyfriend! _

Yeah, a boyfriend that wasn't even here to dance with her.

"Today was great," Angelina said, smiling at her class. "Next week, we will start a combination, based on what we did today. Thanks for coming!"

The class dismissed itself, and Aria turned to Ezra.

"Thanks for today," she muttered, still slightly embarrassed by the I-almost-kissed-my-dance-teacher-incident. "It was great."

"You're amazing." Ezra's eyes held the purest honesty she had ever seen. Aria suddenly felt like he wasn't talking about the dancing.

"So are you, Ezra." Aria too, was being totally honest.

"I'll see you next week?" He asked, walking up towards her slowly.

Aria nodded. "Of course you will."

And despite how upset she'd been earlier, Aria was suddenly thrilled Jake hadn't showed. She flashed Ezra one last smile and turned to leave the now empty studio-

But before she could, she felt Ezra's warm hand lock around her bicep. In the same fashion as in a traditional dance, he spun her around to face him, and crushed his mouth to hers with every ounce of passion the Argentine Tango had to offer.

**I take a Latin dance class every week, and it is literally my favourite thing in the world. Last week, I learned a tango routine to El Tango De Roxanne, and have been obsessed with it ever since. I have been prancing around my house to the t-a-n-g-o rhythm all week. So I wrote Ezria tango.**

**I don't know if I want to continue this or leave it a very ambiguous one-shot. If you like it and want me to continue, tell me. I'll write a second half if the response is asking for it. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. **

**And thank you to Julia, who is my buddy and helped me out with this. **


	2. Chapter 2 : Lips on Skin

_Chapter 2_

_His lips caress your skin, it's more than I can stand_

Aria debated for a moment whether she should pull away, or stay exactly where she was. There were fireworks going off all over her body, and as her mouth melded together with his- his being Ezra's, her dance instructor-partner, a guy she had known for one hour, she realized that should she leave now, she would hate herself forever.

So, for those twelve seconds that Ezra stood there, kissing her as if he would never see her again, Aria ignored the irritating voice of her conscience telling her the right thing to do and continue to stand there with her tongue down his throat.

A part of her would've argued that it was all an attempt to get back at Jake. That the only reason she was kissing Ezra was because she was angry at her boyfriend. However, the fun of the situation was that Aria also knew a good seventy-five percent of her was kissing Ezra because she just damn well wanted to. Ezra was a gentlemen. Ezra had made her feel confident. Ezra smelt like body wash- her favourite brand of men's body wash, and Ezra and his touch for the Argentine tango was the _hottest thing she had ever seen in her life._

Ezra suddenly broke away from her mouth, and she realized his hand placement, which was on the small of her back, holding her in a way of passionate respect. His breathing had escalated more than it had ever whilst dancing. Aria's heart fluttered again.

"I don't think I meant to do that," Ezra whispered, dropping his hand from her body. "But I don't think I regret it."

Aria bit her lip, looking up at him through her dark, curly eyelashes. "Do you kiss all your students like that?"

"Just the good ones," he grinned at her, taking a step back. "So, Aria." He rolled her name around his mouth like a hard candy.

Her head snapped away from him at the sound of her ringing cell phone- Jake's ringtone. It was some crappy One Direction ballad that Jake had decided to be their song, and had even enforced it by taking the courtesy of changing his call tone to it on Aria's phone. Aria groaned inwardly, cursing him for calling of all times, now.

Ezra looked up, meeting her eyes with this time not a look of intensity or attraction, but of disappointment.

"Do you need to get that?" he asked softly as they made their way into the empty lobby.

Aria's face fell. "I probably should, I guess."

"It's your boyfriend, isn't it?" Ezra buried his hands into the pockets of his sweat pants, head hanging down slightly. He stared at Aria's black jazz shoes.

"I figured that was who was supposed to be your partner."

Aria sighed. The phone had stopped ringing.

"Ezra-"

"No," he cut her off, sighing. "I'm sorry I kissed you. I shouldn't have. I-" he gulped, "I just couldn't help myself."

Aria stared at his sad eyes, biting on her lip. In the brief hour she'd spent dancing with him, Aria found herself feeling things she had never felt before. How could one man, after one hour, make her call things into question so much?

"I felt it too, dancing with you," Aria said softly, capturing Ezra's attention again. "The passion. I need time to think things over." Aria swallowed away the lump in her throat, eyeing his biceps and wishing she was in his arms again. Waiting for next week was going to be brutal. "But- I want you to know that I have never experienced anything like dancing with you before."

Ezra offered a sheepish smile. "Passion isn't supposed to be easy, Aria. It's supposed to be passionate." Without another word, he nodded a goodbye, turning slightly to reenter the dance studio. Before he could disappear completely however, he quickly glanced at Aria once more. "Just remember how passionate you felt, even when he _didn't_ show up."

Jake was laying on his apartment couch, legs stretched out in front of him. WWE wrestling was on the tv, and as he watched the rerun his very favourite show on earth, he didn't notice Aria walk into his apartment.

She walked into the living room, arms crossed, glowering at the man she called her boyfriend. As soon as Jake saw her standing there, she bolted upright, smoothing his shirt.

"Busy?" Aria asked, eyebrow arched.

"_Babe_-" Jake stood up, reaching for her, but quickly retracted his movements as his brain registered the furious look on Aria's face. His five foot two girlfriend was intimidating him.

"Don't _babe_ me," Aria bit the inside of her cheek, angry and upset. "The one thing I wanted to do together, you screwed up. I hope you enjoyed your day, Jake."

Aria turned, ready to march through the front door, when Jake suddenly caught her arm. Aria winced; his grip was a lot tighter, and less guiding than Ezra's had been.

"Look babe, I'm sorry! You're right. I messed up." Jake's apologies were always the same. _I'm sorry, you're right._ It went to show that not only did he not regret his mistake, but he didn't even want to take the time to make it up to her. Aria's blood boiled. She yanked her arm back and started walking towards the door again.

"You're such an ass," she spat, grabbing a picture of the couple that sat on a hallway shelf and threw it to the floor. "I don't ask you for much, Jake. I don't start arguments and I'm not needy or impatient. But this was the last straw."

She whipped around to face him, her intentions to glare and to make an exit, but upon meeting his big puppy dog eyes, Jake suddenly crashed his clammy mouth onto hers.

She paused for a moment, resisting the inviting urge to shove Jake away from her. His lips were rough and dry and much too domineering, even though he was kissing her in a desperate attempt of reconciliation. And she realized that she was already comparing his kisses to Ezra's.

But Jake's kiss was _familiar_. It was Jake who had been the one to kiss her for the last year, Jake the one to hold her. A knot formed in Aria's stomach as a wave of terrible guilt hit her like a bullet. Despite all the awful things Jake was, he wasn't ever unfaithful.

And today, she _had_ been.

Here she was, standing in his porch, comparing her boyfriend's kisses to another man's. Aria suddenly felt overwhelmed. She pulled away from Jake, glaring at him, and then whipped around and stormed out of his apartment. She really liked Ezra, but was he really worth leaving a long-term relationship for?

One thing was for sure. Passion sure wasn't easy.

The next day, Aria didn't feel any better. Her mind was still spinning, her heart torn, her conscience screaming in three different languages all the right things to do in this situation.

She sat her empty carton of ice cream onto the night stand and reached for her remote. On the coffee table beside the remote was the Rumba Zumba Dance Company pamphlet she had taken upon signing up for the class, and absentmindedly, Aria picked it up to thumb through while she waited for her recording of So You Think You Can Dance to buffer.

And there was his face. Smiling brightly, Ezra Fitz's picture was printed on the second page under instructors. He looked gorgeous in the photo, which didn't surprise her at all. His toned biceps were the first things you noticed, besides his smile, and it was hard not to gawk over the photo. Aria sighed, thinking back to the way it felt to dance with him. It was as if they hadn't had a care in the world. As if they were floating- both too absorbed in their own little world for anything else to matter. Aria's heart involuntarily fluttered.

Thinking about Jake had never really felt quite like that.

Her head turned to the sound of her phone ringing, and Aria knit her eyebrows as the caller ID displayed "Rumba Zumba Dance Co." Her breath caught as she jumped to the conclusion she wanted- was it Ezra?

"Hello?" Aria said as causally as possible.

"Aria, it's great to speak to you," Angelina's smooth voice poured through the speaker, and Aria suddenly felt ridiculous- and disapointed. "This is Angelina Riveras, from your Saturday tango class? I hate to disturb your Sunday, but I was wondering if you'd be interested in something."

Aria was confused. "Yes, of course."

"Every year, our studio enters the Philadelphia Ballroom Dance Competition. It's a really big event, with some great prizes on the line- and Ezra Fitz is short of a partner. I think that with a little training, you'd be an excellent participant."

Aria felt stunned, flattered and a little irritated all at once. She was shocked that she of all people would be asked to join into a competitive stream of dancers, she was flattered that they thought highly of her, but she was also slightly pissed that Ezra hadn't even bothered to call her himself. She wasn't sure if it made her irked or more driven- something about his hesitance fueled her determination to get him.

"You certainly don't have to make up your mind right now," Angelina quickly added. "This is a lot for me to ask you over the phone. I just really want you to consider it, because we saw so much potential in a single first class."

Aria smiled again. "Thank you Angelina, I really appreciate it and I'm definitely going to consider the idea." Her mouth had made the decision before her brain. Her brain, that was slightly cloudy, because she was distracted. She made an arrangement to meet Ezra Fitz after work tomorrow, for their first session and to decide whether or whether not this partnership would work.

Even before she'd hit end call, Aria was plotting. By the end of next week,

Ezra Fitz was going to be begging for her affection at her feet.

She had a _lot_ of practicing to do.

Monday, work dragged on, and Aria figured it was because of the fact she was anticipating meeting Ezra at the Rumba Zumba Dance Company afterwards. Life in the office of a publishing house didn't offer much excitement, but today it seemed even more dull, just to spite her.

As much as the day dragged on, it eventually ended, soon enough Aria was heading home to get ready. Her stomach was flipping, due to a mix of nervousness and excitement, and she suddenly felt a little self-conscious. She didn't have salsa heels, she didn't have proper ballroom outfits. What was she going to wear? What if she couldn't keep up with the competition pace?

She tried her best to put the insecurities to rest, straightening her shoulders and walking a little straighter. If they really thought she had that much talent, then maybe she did, and she was going to start believing in herself.

Ezra was dressed in a formfitting black T-shirt and a pair of Nike sweatpants. As she saw him waiting for her outside the studio, Aria suddenly felt her nervousness come back. She caught her appearance in one of the mirrors wondering if her body looked awful in the pair of black leggings and purple tank top she was wearing. She had attempted to look professional when she picked out this outfit, but was now second-guessing every choice she had made.

Ezra grinned at her. "Thanks for coming."

Aria nodded, looking up at him. "I'm flattered that you would want me to come."

He didn't answer. They walked into the studio, Ezra flicking on the spotlights so the room was now lit with a reddish glow.

"I'm going to show you a more complex variation of the tango we did in class," he hit the button on the stereo remote and the soft Spanish guitar began play. "But first things first, can you split?"

Aria nodded, "both legs."

"Awesome," Ezra straightened both of his leg and leaned forward to touvh the floor, stretching his body. Aria tried very hard not to drool. "If you can split, we're going to use it to our advantage."

Aria nodded and sat on the floor, landing into a perfect right-leg split. She could feel Ezra's eyes on her, and in an attempt to impress him, she reached behind her and grabbed her left foot.

"How high can you get your leg?" Ezra asked, coming over to stand beside her. He reached for his hand, and as if she weighed nothing, pulled her all the way back up to her feet. He was so strong, yet so gentle.

Aria sucked in a deep breath, then as she released it, swinging her leg up as far as it would go. It went straight up, so she kicked a straight split. It was a jazz technique she had learned years ago.

Ezra watched. "Good," and then unexpectedly, her reached and grabbed her leg, around the back of her knee, and pulled it up so that the back of her knee rested against his shoulder. His finger pinched the skin of her thigh. Aria was too transfixed to move, or speak, or breath.

"If you can do this without pain, you're gonna do stunts. Stunts earn points."

He smirked again and Aria finally dropped her leg.

Aria nodded, gulping. Her heart was still thudding, and she could feel a nervous sweat breaking out along her forehead.

"Here," Ezra said, he was standing in a straight, ready, tango position, holding out his hands. She joined him, popping one knee. Ezra clamped his hand on her back securely. "Watch my legs." He leaned forward slightly as if he were going to take a step forward, but then turned, taking her body with him to the side. They were now facing the opposite direction than they initially started in.

"I'm going to fake out steps," he whispered, forehead creased in concentration. "Fake the first one. We're chest to chest." He pulled her closer to him. She struggled to contain her panting. "Then slide down into a lunge split, with your right leg straight behind you." Aria did what he said, falling down into a lunge, leg straight and flat behind her.

Ezra reached down and pushed on her hip. "Straighten your frame, Aria."

Aria straightened her hips.

"Good."

This was going to be the longest two hours of her life. But she wasn't complaining.

Aria wiped her brow and took another long swig of water. Had the room gotten warmer, or was she just that out of shape?

Ezra was still watching himself in the mirror, working out footwork. His black t-shirt clung to his beautiful body, his sweaty hair pushed back out of his eyes- he was indescribably beautiful. Aria gulped.

"Let's run it once more," Ezra offered, extending his hand towards her. She sighed, though nodded and took his hand.

Even thought they had been dancing this same dance for two hours, for some inexplicable reason, the energy buzzed with a different vibe this time. Ezra looked down into her eyes and they stood, ready to dance, but this time his arms were holding her with a sense of greed. As if he wasn't going to let her go, because he wanted her for himself too bad. His warm, sweet breath was in her face, the taut skin of his abdomen pressed against his, their knees twisted together. Aria's heart gave into its new habit and started to thud wildly. The music cut in with a pulsing beat.

And they danced, harmoniously and ceremoniously, their feet turning and twisting in perfect synchronization, never missing a beat. His arms held her tightly, his feet guiding her through the classic tango rhythm, heads whipping, arms pushing, Aria falling into splits just as he'd catch her and suspend her in the air. It was beautiful. He was beautiful.

The music stopped then, and Aria and Ezra froze. They were chest to chest, forehead to forehead, hands clasped together. And Aria suddenly lost all control of her actions.

Her hand knotted into his dark curls and she dove for his lips and threw herself into a frenzied kiss.

Their mouths clashed, Ezra's soft lips crushing hers with just as much urgency and eagerness. His tongue probed at her lips, begging for access, to which she teased him and shut her lips altogether.

His hands squeezed her sides, roaming her back as she massaged his scalp with her fingers. She smirked into the kiss, and Ezra took the opportunity to shove his tongue into her mouth. Aria felt him slide one hand under her leg, behind her knee.

"Up," he commanded breathlessly, to which she complied without hesitation.

She hopped up and tightened her legs around his hips, kissing him as deeply as she could. She felt the abrupt slam of her body against the wall mirror, and Ezra used it as leverage to hold her up as they passionately devoured each other.

Perhaps this behaviour was inappropriate and uncalled for, but quite frankly, she didn't give a damn. He nipped at her neck. She ran her fingers through his curls. He sucked on her lips like they were candy. Aria tightened her legs around him, praying that this moment would never.

And once again her was right. If this wasn't passion, what was?

**So here's chapter two. I hope it met your expectations.**

**Your feedback was amazing last chapter! Thank you so much. I appreciate it so much, and it really helps me keep writing.**

**I have actually choreographed chunks of Aria and Ezra's dance, so I feel like the heat in this story is going to keep going up ;)**

**I won't take so long to update next time.**

**Review! They make me want to write!**


	3. Chapter 3 : More Than I Can Stand

_El tango de Fitz _

_Chapter 2_

_Feelings I can't fight_

A half pint of chunky monkey ice cream sat in her lap, the spoon digging into it over and over as Aria tried and failed to eat away the stress she was feeling.

Stress-eating had been one of her worst habits ever since her teenage years. In the last three days, Aria had consumed two full pints of ice cream, four bags of popcorn, two bags of Red Vines and twelve cups of coffee.

Life was a mess.

Even though she was sitting home, doing nothing even remotely important, she couldn't pick up the phone and call Jake. Every time she tried, a spring of sour guilt would uncoil in her stomach, and she would convince herself not to follow through with the action. Whether it was because she was afraid, or because she was ashamed with herself, who knew. But Aria Montgomery was a coward, and she could not, under any circumstance, call Jake.

She had always watched those Lifetime movies, where the wife cheats on the husband and the affair escalates into a shocking murder. And she had always thought that those movies were dumb- that _affairs_ were dumb. Wasn't it good enough to have one guy that loved you?

But here she was, sitting on the couch, eating Chunky monkey while nursing a hickey she had gotten from another man.

Ezra was _perfect_- she savoured every moment she spent with him, every inch of his skin, every detail of his perfect face, and every single step they took as they danced. She couldn't control her attraction to Ezra, she didn't even want to. He was just so easy to picture herself with, and he made her feel safe. For some reason, she found it unfair that she was constantly trying to justify why she had hooked up with him, even though they hadn't gone all the way, or even close to all the way. But she had still allowed him to push her up against the mirror and kiss her senseless for forty-five minutes, and technically she and Jake _were_ still in a relationship.

The picture on her TV stand was mocking her. It had been taken during the summer when she and Jake had gone to his parent's lake house for the weekend. They were smiling, and even though the picture seemed like nothing was wrong, Aria hadn't been happy the time that picture was taken. It seemed like now that she had something to compare her relationship to, that she never really had been happy with Jake at all. It had always felt as though she'd been forcing a smile to appease herself; they didn't have anything in common, but at least me was nice, right? At least they didn't fight as much as most couples did.

_Just remember, passion isn't supposed to be easy, it's supposed to be passionate._

Maybe her easy relationship Jake was just missing passion.

Aria jumped half a mile at the sound of her phone ringing. Her stomach lurched, and for a second, she battled with herself whether or whether not to unlock the screen and check the caller ID. By the third ring, she built up the nerve and did it, relaxing when she saw that the call was only from Ezra.

She exhaled a nervous breath and answered, a smile coming to her face instantly as his voice came through the speaker.

"Hey," he said cheerfully from the other end. "How are you today?"

Aria stood up, stretching her arms over her head. "I'm fine, you?"

He hesitated before continuing. "What are you doing tonight?"

Aria's heart fluttered at the realization he was asking her out. She grinned, biting on her lip to try and control herself.

"I'm not doing anything, why would you ask?"

She heard his chuckle on the other end, melting at it. "I know this place. It's kind of like a club, but more classy- a lot of dancers go there because it's good practice for dancing in public. It's a lot of fun. Would you like to go with me?"

Aria fidgeted giddily. "Yeah, of course. But, I don't have salsa shoes."

"I can look after that, why don't I pick you up at 8, and we can go for an hour or two?"

"Sounds like a plan," Aria was smiling ear to ear. "What should I wear?"

"A dress that you can move in- oh, and it's a masquerade," Ezra paused. "And I'd stretch if I were you."

They walked inside the club, the pulsing beat of the music thudding enough to make anyone want to get up and dance. It smelled like cologne and perfume, and not of alcohol like most bars did. Like Ezra had said, it was a haven for dancers, not desperate singles looking for a new hookup.

Aria held onto Ezra's arm, slightly nervous as they made their way through the dark to their table. He was perfectly punctual, having showed up at her apartment at eight like he promised. Waiting for her in the car were a pair of black and silver glittery salsa shoes; she had no idea where he'd gotten them, but wasn't complaining. They were perfect, and matched her sparkly purple sundress exactly. She had found a black masquerade mask from one of her Halloween costumes years ago, and had worn dramatic makeup. She barely recognized herself in the mirror. She felt like a mystical Spanish dancer- well, a five-foot-two fair skinned one at least.

They finally stopped at a two seater booth, motioning for Aria to sit down. From their seat was a perfect viewing angle of the dance floor, where a group of five or six couples were shaking and swaying to an upbeat Spanish rythym. The women wore pretty frilly dresses, ones that moved and glittered with the movements of their bodies. Aria admired the beautiful dance, shamefully hoping she and Ezra could do something like that in the future.

Aria watched Ezra carefully, admiring the smile on his beautiful half-covered face. She saw the unadulterated joy on his face as he watched the dancers, and melted. She had always been attracted to men who knew what their passions were; and there was nothing hotter than a gorgeous man who's passion was ballroom dance.

She debated checking her phone, but realized there might have been a text from Jake. She didn't want that, really, especially not now. She felt guilty that he had become nothing but an irritation to her, but it wasn't exactly keeping her up at night. She bit her lip and glanced at Ezra again, feeling the tingling sensations all over her body that she got from looking at him. He was still watching the dancers. The song switched, and Aria grinned at the even faster tempo.

"That's a Cha Cha Cha," Ezra said suddenly as if he could read her mind. Aria looked at him excitedly. "Do you want me to teach it to you?"

She looked at him eagerly. "Duh,"

"Well then okay," Ezra stood up and grabbed her hand, pulling her in the direction of the dance floor. Aria froze, glaring at him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm teaching you how to Cha Cha,"

"I don't know how to Cha Cha!" Her eyes were almost bulging out of her head.

"Well what better way to learn." He started pulling her towards the floor again, persistent to get to the dance floor. Once he reached it, he turned to her with an impish grin. "Come on, Ar. You aren't really going to leave your partner here alone on the dance floor are you?"

She liked when he called her that.

"You learn well under pressure," he shrugged, grinning. "What do you say?"

Aria was going to refuse, but she saw that beautiful smile on his face and just couldn't do it. Glaring, she grabbed his hand and allowed him to lead her out to the floor.

They walked to the middle, and one of the cha-cha dancers happily moved over for them. Ezra grabbed her hand and pulled Aria into what she assumed was a starting position. It was similar to that of the tango's, only more emphasis on the knees and hip. She watched the basic moves that the dancers around her were doing- joining in by popping one knee and keeping the other straight. Ezra stepped to the side, popping the knee that stood still, and straightening the one that he had kicked shifted his weight and switched knees, then again, before rejoining his feet together and popping his knees yet again three times on the spot. Aria widened her eyes.

"Like this?" She stepped around a little bit experimentally, to which Ezra chuckled and nodded.

"That's perfect," he approved, guiding her as they began to cha-cha together. He lead her movements with great grace, at a pace that she could keep up with until she finally got the hang of it. All at once they were stepping, kicking, flicking, turning, spinning, jumping, and nearly grinding all at once as the rhythm carried them through the song. Aria clutched his hand, appreciating the feeling of his strong upper body supporting her and their torsos hitting together. In a way, she liked the cha-cha even more. It was so much fun, so high-energy and yet relaxed. She could hear the song ending and excitedly looked at Ezra to silently tell him she wanted to do something big- and all at once he clamped his hand on her waist and with all the power he had in his body pushed on her body. She spun, pirouetting five full times before collapsing into his arms. It wasn't until the song had ended that Aria realized they were the only ones left on the floor, everyone in the club clapping for Aria and Ezra.

Breathing heavily, Aria looked up and couldn't help the grin spreading across her face. She turned Ezra and in a moment of pride, electricity and ecstasy, kissed him, the rough kiss a clash of teeth and tongue.

They broke apart a moment later of course, and Ezra guided her off the dance floor to sit down for a bit. He ordered them a plate of fries, along with a couple of bottles of water. Aria bounced excitedly in her seat.

"This is so much fun," she mused, pulling a cheese-covered french-fry off the plate. "Is that the kind of dance we're going to do for the competition?"

"Do you like it?" He asked, and Aria wasn't sure if he was referring to the dance or the cheese fry.

"I really do," she liked both the dance and the fry, so she was sure her answer would work for both.

"I really want us to do something intense for the competition." Ezra gnawed at his lower lip. "Cha-cha _is_ really fun, and I can definitely put some of its elements into our dance, but I really like the tango's mystery and intensity. I want us to do something- _scandalous."_

Aria's heart fluttered wildly, and she suddenly regarded Ezra with a strange sensation of lust that was very unlike herself. Ezra always had that effect on her; he could charm her into feeling things she'd never felt before.

She bit her lip and raised an eyebrow. "What kind of _scandal_ were you thinking about?"

He smirked. "I have _some_ ideas."

"And you aren't going to tell me?"

"It's a surprise," he was still smirking at her, fingers lightly tracing the goose-bump-covered skin of her forearm. His pink lips were bow shaped and pouty, and Aria swore she'd never seen something so delicious.

The cheese fries were suddenly the least of her interests.

Aria and Ezra's powerful eye sex was abruptly broken as a new song began to play through the stereo system. The soft Spanish guitar began to trickle into earshot and Aria gasped as she realized it was El Tango de Roxane- _their_ tango song.

"Now ladies and gentlemen, we are going to be holding a couples tango," a voice, one Aria assumed belonged to the MC of the club. "So if you tango, get on the floor!"

This time, it was Aria to jump up. She wanted to dance again.

_Who drives you...mad?!_

Aria and Ezra faced each other, eyes burning, bodies straight. Aria stepped forward, approaching him carefully, slowly, walking a complete circle around him as if she were sizing him up to fight.

_Roxane_...

Aria grabbed his hands and he pulled her small body to his chest. The split second after, he stepped forward, their hips brushing together as she moved back. They walked to the tango rhythm, and Ezra grabbed her hand. He whipped her around and spun her once with her arm in the air, before pulling her into a dip. His strong arm caught her, never letting her fall.

She bounced back up and her caught her body, directing her into more walks. The dance progressed, getting more and more heated by the moment, their hips hitting and legs brushing, Ezra's hands managing to find their way all over her body without it seeming out of place. Their dance was perfect- the best they'd done it, and it was evident by the gazes of the spectators Aria and Ezra were the most captivating couple on the floor.

The song ended, and Aria smiled at Ezra. She didn't kiss him this time however, but instead just grabbed his hand and pulled him off the floor, giggling. Once they got back to the table, she couldn't hold out any longer, and attacked his lips fiercely.

"What do you say we take this home?" she mumbled hoarsely against his lips, nonchalantly brushing her hand down the front of his dress shirt. "I think there's a few _moves_ you've been keeping from me."

Ezra was breathless and paralyzed. He nodded, and she kissed him once more, reaching for her purse.

"I'll be back," he whispered, glancing around before clarifying, "washroom."

Aria grinned, smoothing her curls. She checked her appearance in the reflection of her phone screen, admiring the pretty mask on her face. She almost didn't notice the person standing next to her table until he cleared his throat.

She almost choked.

It was _Jake_.

"Hey," he said, seeming nothing short of smitten, which confused her to no end. Why wasn't he yelling, balling his fists up, or swearing at her? He had just watched her as she borderline _grinded_ with some other guy on the dance floor.

"Um, hi?" Aria knit her eyebrows, and then she realized. She was wearing a mask, with different makeup. _He didn't recognize her_, and he was hitting on her.

Aria felt a pang of jealousy strike deep in the pit of her stomach. He thought she was someone else- someone random, which meant technically, he was cheating on her. Aria grit her teeth. _Two could play this game._

"I'm Jake," he continued, running a hand through his dirty brown hair. "And let me just tell you, you are one mighty dancer." He shot her a smirk and Aria wanted to punch it off of him.

Aria smiled wryly. "You think so?"

Jake nodded. "You know, I'm not the best at what you do, but let's just say I have other ways of sweeping a girl off of her feet." He winked, and Aria flared her nostrils at the sting of anger.

"What are you implying?" she narrowed her eyes at him.

"You should forget that guy you're with. He might be a dancer, but I doubt he's very talented other means of _rhythm_."

Aria's eyes widened, welling up slightly with tears. She had to keep her cover. If he figured out that she was here, there was sure to be a scene, and if Ezra found out she wasn't technically single-

"You know, you should really try dancing." Aria stood up and grabbed her purse off the booth seat. "Because I can guarantee you that it'll be the only action you're going to get tonight."

She scowled at him then, stalking off in the direction of men's washroom wait for Ezra. Aria felt hurt, upset and vengeful- and being with Ezra was exactly how she was going to get back at him.

Jake sat at the bar, polishing off his third glass of yellow scotch. The bartender, a friend of Jake's, was wiping down the grimy counter, enjoying the quiet of the now near-empty bar.

"Who was she?" Jake slurred, grinning as he thought about the hot dancer he'd hit on earlier. "That tango dancer- she was new."

The bartender shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know man," he said, rinsing out a glass, "she was with Ezra, though."Jake furrowed his eyes drunkly. "Who?"

"Ezra, her partner. He comes here all the time but it's the first time he's brought anyone."

"I want to find out who she is," Jake furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "She seems- _familiar_."

The bartender shrugged.

Jake nodded to himself. "I'll find out who she is. You wait and see."

Ezra's apartment was a two room suite, much different than she had expected it to be. Books lined the shelves and cluttered the countertops, mismatched pillows and blankets covered the bed and couches, and antique movie posters hung all over the quirkily coloured walls. It was simple yet charming, and Aria loved it.

He shut the door behind them both and guided her into the room, switching on the big light overhead. He threw his coat on the arm of the chair and sat down on the couch, beaming up at her.

"It's not much, but it's kind of the best thing you can get for a dance teacher's salary." Ezra was looking her over, absorbing every inch of her beauty.

"It's adorable," she mumbled, then sat beside him on the couch. He looked at her and smiled.

"You were really great tonight," he said softly, grasping her hand in his own. "I hope you had fun."

Aria nodded. "I had a lot of fun," her face was close to his, "thank you for taking me."

He nodded, unable to form words, or even thoughts. Aria leaned in, brushing her lips softly against his, teasingly, fingers still curled around his hand.

He closed the gap between their mouths then, kissing her languidly and gently. This kind of kiss was different than all the ones they'd shared before, and Aria loved this kind of kiss even more. He ran his hand smoothly down her back, reaching for the side of her face with the other. She felt like it was possible to melt into his arms, his mouth, and she sighed into his lips as he cuddled his warm body into her. Aria held onto his torso, then slowly began trailing her fingers to the collar of his shirt.

As soon as she finished unbuttoning the third button, Ezra stopped, grabbing her hand to halt her movements. "Aria, wait."

"What's wrong?" She was breathing heavily, lips swollen.

"Aria," there was reluctance in his gruff voice. "I'm not sure if we should do this," he was panting.

She broke their eye contact then, internally shrivelling up with rejection. Her face fell, her hands dropped.

"Hey," he cooed, cupping her chin with his hand and made her look at him. "We don't have to rush things. I know that's completely contradictory from what's been happening but, I really like you Aria, and I don't want to push you into things too fast."

She nodded. "You aren't pushing me," her face flushed sheepishly. She wanted Ezra, really badly.

He was sitting there staring at her, a guilty look plastered on his beautiful face. One of his hands was still resting on her lower back, tracing lazy circles.

"I want there to be substance in this relationship," he breathed. "I don't want this to be one-and-done."

Aria looked up at him and smiled. Through all of uthe confusion. She was sure of one thing. "Me too."

"So, can I call you my girlfriend?"

Aria nodded and ducked for his lips again, grinning as he pulled her into his lap. They kissed both feverishly and passionately, clothes becoming more and more of a nuisance as time passed. His shirt hit the floor and so did her dress- but the only items that didn't, by Ezra's request, were the shiny black and silver heels he had given her.

Aria had totally forgotten all about Jake.

**I'm really sorry this took so long, I just had so much trouble finding time to sit down and write it, and I had a bad case of writers block. **

**Here's the chapter, and I hope you enjoyed it! Ooh- the drama has started already, and let me tell you it's going to get pretty intense! But trust me, I have a funny feeling that you're going to be pleased with the way this works out. Jake may be a dud, but pretty soon we're going to see how heroic Ezra can be.**

**Thank you so much to Catherine ( .Forever.) for helping me work out this chapter, and for helping to keep me on task, haha!**

**Thank you for all the wonderful reviews, and keep them coming! they help me write!**

**See you next update!**


	4. Chapter 4 : Who Drives You Mad?

_El Tango De Fitz  
Chapter 4_

_Who drives you mad?_

Ezra and Aria lay in a tangled heap beneath the comforter, breathing still heavy as they attempted to physically recover from their previous activities.

Ezra's hand went around her back, holding her tired body against his. She nuzzled her face in his warm chest, unable to stop the smile on her lips from forming. Even though they were both physically exhausted, they were both wide awake.

"So," Ezra murmured, tracing light patterns over the skin of her back. He loved the satiny texture of her skin, the scent of her hair. "Tell me more about yourself."

Aria looked up at him shyly. "What do you want to know?"

_Everything_, Ezra thought, but didn't say it. "Where are you from?" He pressed a delicate kiss on her hairline.

"Here in Pennsylvania," Aria gyrated her teeth across her lip. "I grew up in a stupid little town called Rosewood and I'm never going back to it."

"Rosewood?"

"Small town, small population, big issues." Aria shuddered slightly as she remembered the eighteen gruelling years she spent there, miserably. "I hated it there. I moved here to Philly when I turned eighteen for college. You?"

Ezra smiled. "Believe it or not, I went to college in Rosewood."

"You went to Hollis? My dad teaches there."

"Byron Montgomery, he's your dad?" Asked Ezra in disbelief. "He was a great professor."

Aria shrugged. She and her father didn't exactly have the best relationship, and she didn't thoroughly enjoy speaking about him. She decided to change the subject. "So you studied English?"

"Yeah, it was my major," Ezra ran his fingers through the ends of her curls. "I love English more than anything, sometimes even dance."

"I majored in English too," Aria's eyes widened. "I'm a copy editor for the paper."

Ezra stared at her for a moment or two before continuing. "I was going to be a teacher, but while I was waiting for a position to open up, I started teaching ballroom classes, and I didn't stop."

Again, Aria and Ezra started each other wonderingly. How could it be that they had so much in common? How could it be that this was working so well? Aria had a tingling feeling in her stomach that this was going far beyond an attraction. She knew so very little about Ezra Fitz- well, yet, but she could feel herself already falling for him, in a way she had never for any other boy before.

She realized how long she been watching his facial expressions and then blushed, burying her face in his shoulder so she wouldn't have to look in his eyes any longer. "When did you start dancing?"

"Eight years. I started taking ballroom classes when I was fifteen."

"Did you like it? Even back then?" She brushed her fingers down this smooth skin of his arm.

Ezra chuckled. "My mother signed me up initially, but I fell in love with dance on my own. I got picked on for it, but once people started noticing how many girls I picked up from being able to dance, they didn't make any more comments."

Aria giggled softly. "They were probably just jealous of your looks." Her forehead pressed into his chest and she yawned, the tiredness sweeping over her.

"How long have you danced for?"

"I did jazz for five years, contemporary for three, and tap for three. I didn't think I was any good until I joined your class."

"Liar," Ezra breathed against her neck. "There's no way you didn't know you were that good."

"It's true, I didn't." Aria let her eyes flutter shut before making one last comment. "I'm only good now because I have an excellent teacher."

Jake's apartment felt like a foreign territory as Aria made her way up the front steps to his door. She had decided that morning that this couldn't go on any longer- that her affair with Ezra had to become a relationship, and in order to do so, she had to break up with Jake. Waking up in Ezra's naked body parts had pushed her to finally give up on this nervousness and just do it, regardless of how guilty she felt.

Things with Jake had never been what she had expected them to be. Of course she had liked him, and they did have stuff in common, but there was nothing _else_. There wasn't anything deep, or anything special. They were always bickering over the stupidest things, and although they always managed to work it out, Aria had no insight of her future with Jake. He was not who she pictured herself with ten years from now. She had never expected him to be the one for her to spend her life with.

But Ezra- Ezra was different. She could see him, ten years from now, forehead crinkled as he worriedly tried to chase their two-year-old daughter around a department store. She could see herself married to him- sitting in a rocking chair while they watched their grandkids play, and even though Aria knew she was being completely dramatic and irrational, she knew she wanted that future with Ezra.

She raised her hand, gulped, then knocked on Jake's front door- trying her best to calm her nerves. After a few moments she saw the silhouette of a hulking, dirty-haired Kick-boxer on the other side of the door through the door window.

The door opened, and she came face-to-face with him. Once again, like usual, Aria felt like shrivelling up and crying- her spurt of confidence had fled and she was now as insecure and guilty as she had been every time she'd tried to do this before.

Jake spoke before she had a chance. "I was wondering when I'd be seeing you again," his voice was dry and cold. He shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned against the doorframe.

Aria felt sick. The fact that he could stand there so condescendingly, like he had been the hero of the relationship, even after he had so desperately tried to hook up with some other girl, it was maddening. Aria felt her own jaw flex in anger.

"I was wondering when you'd see me again too," she spat back.

Jake knit his bushy eyebrows. "You didn't answer my text or calls. You have been completely unreachable for the last week! I haven't heard from you because you're still mad at me- over me not wanting to prance around in that _stupid dance class_!"

"It's not some stupid dance class!" Aria was becoming irate. She couldn't help but feel like this was personal- as if Jake bashing her dance class was Jake bashing Ezra. "It was just like any other thing. You didn't want to do it, so you assumed I would just nod my head to go along with it. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not going to miss out on things I love doing because you're not willing to do anything with me." Her eyes filled with hot, angry tears. "I love ballroom dance. And because of you, I almost missed out on it."

"You're letting this fight take over our relationship." Jake's jaw was clenched. His hands were fists. "You're the neediest person I've ever met."

"Well guess what Jake," Aria snarled almost savagely. "We no longer _have_ a relationship."

They paused for a moment, glaring at each other with every ounce of hatred they could portray. Aria's hands were shaking.

Jake seemed to be- studying her. He was staring at her lips.

"Who is he?" Jake snapped suddenly. "You're bullshitting this whole thing, aren't you? You met someone else." He took a step towards her, and Aria, feeling threatened, instinctively took one step back. She felt like she was living inside of a tango. Her throat tightened.

"It's over, Jake. You ruined everything, so you can save yourself the effort of looking for someone else to blame. We are through."

With that, Aria turned around and hastily made her way down the stairs. She climbed into her car, slammed the door, and left Jake, their relationship, and all the memories which came with it behind her. Despite how angry and somewhat uneasy she felt, Aria looked at herself in the rearview mirror, and forced herself to smile.

Ezra was already in the dance studio, stretching his arms when Aria walked into Zumba Rumba later that afternoon. She set her bag on the floor and then went to him, grinning as he greeted her with a soft kiss.

"Haven't seen you in a while," Ezra joked with a wink, but Aria found it hard to smile considering Jake had said the same words a little while earlier. She was determined to stay happy and calm- to forget about Jake altogether, but Aria knew she was going to be inevitably upset at some point or another. She and Jake had been together for a while- and that was irreversible.

Ezra sensed her hesitation, but didn't say anything about it.

"I've decided on our competition dance," he declared then, crossing the room to the stereo. He turned it on, and a mysterious Spanish melody began to trickle through the speakers.

"This is the _Assassin's_ _Tango_," observed Aria, smirking slightly.

"Indeed. But we aren't doing a tango for the competition."

Aria looked at him funny from where she was stretching on the floor. "What do you mean?"

Proudly, Ezra jumped into a position where his body was straight, but his shoulders were facing the side. He raised one arm over his head, the other across his torso, and said dramatically, "We are doing a _Paso Doble._"

Aria watched him, amused by his pathetic acting. He took a set of quick, graceful steps towards her and then placed a hand atop her head. "A Paso Doble, my dear," he began to walk, circling around her cautiously, like a warning. He furrowed his brow and looked down at her, pretending to be angry. "Is a traditional couple's dance from Spain. It is danced to the type of music typically played in bullfights during the bullfighters' entrance to the ring," he paused and looked at her, then dropped, lowering himself so he was nearly on top of her, arms on both sides of her body. Breath against her ear, he said,"Or during the passes- just before the _kill_." His lips descended on the skin of her neck, and he kissed it once before hopping up and walking back towards the speaker to the rhythm.

"It's passionate, and intense. We have to fight it out like crazy lovers obsessed with intensity." Ezra was still grinning. "Do you think you can handle it?"

Aria nodded excitedly, laughing at his theatrical announcement. "Bring it on."

"No, Aria, legs _straight_."

It had been two hours since they had begun choreography. Aria, who was usually quick and able to catch onto choreography without a problem, was having a very off day. It was slowing down their pace- and Ezra was both concerned and confused. She seemed distracted; something was throwing her off her game, and Ezra didn't know what.

However, he had an idea.

"Why aren't you getting this?" he asked, tone frustrated. Aria was slightly taken back by his demand.

She knew she was distracted, and she also knew that she was distracted by her fight with Jake. She had to act angry with Ezra- and every time she would see his face, scrunched in concentration, she would picture Jake's face today when she dumped him. And it was making her angry. But still, Ezra was going fast, and the steps were really tricky- and putting everything together while trying to look intense was quite the challenge.

"I'm sorry! This is really hard." Aria widened her eyes and went back to first position.

"If it's too hard, we can change the style of dance." Ezra seemed to be running out of patience, and it was making Aria angry.

"We don't need to change the dance," Aria snapped back. "Just relax, would you?"

"No, I can't relax when we have so much to do and you can't even get the Chasse right," Ezra ran a hand through his sweaty curls. He was hot, literally. This choreo was exhausting, and it was warm in the room. Giving up, he yanked his shirt over his head and threw it to the side.

"I _can_ _so_ do it, dammit! Just give me a chance!" Aria fought to keep her gaze controlled on his face, trying to stay mad at him.

"Then show me you can!"

Aria grabbed both his hands then and yanked him against her, before pushing him back away to the rhythm of the still-playing music. They faced each other, and she raised her hands above her head as he lowered his.

_Five, six, seven, eight._

She stepped to the side at the same time as he did, then stepped her feet together again. They repeated the same thing twice, and then Aria twirled around before diving into his grasp. He dipped her body, and she fell backwards, back straight, knees bent, her shoulders almost touching the floor. He supported her body by holding the back of her neck.

She had done it.

Aria let out a deep breath, before Ezra scooped her up from the ground.

"I knew you'd get it right if I pushed you," he was grinning smugly, proud of his tactic. Aria giggled, realizing all of his frustration had been an attempt to make her concentrate. She leaned forward and kissed him hard, before squirming.

"Put me down, I want to do it again." She hopped down from his arms and stood in front of him. "And you should practice with your shirt off more often."

Jake sat on his sofa, resting his elbows on his knees as he thought. He was onto something, and he knew that. Last night, he had gone to that club on a whim- and that dancer- why was she so familiar?

Jake suddenly sat straight upright, hit with a sudden epiphany. He gasped, picturing the dancer from the night before. He remembered her only vaguely- alcohol had blurred her mask-covered face from his vision. But he remembered one thing. Her lipstick.

Bright read and glossy, framing bow-shaped, pouty lips. It was a strange colour, almost orangey-

And Aria had been wearing the exact same shade today.

**Hey guys, I know it's been a while. I just didn't want to write over Christmas because I was too busy doing nothing. But here it is, and oooh, the drama has picked up!**

**The new chapter will been up soon, I have it all planned out. I've decided this story isn't going to be too long, because I would rather it be short and sweet than dragged out and plotless. There will definitely be two more chapters, maybe more. I'll see.**

**I would also highly recommend listening to the songs I mention within the chapters, they will really help set the mood and help you to understand what's going on with the styles of dance. Paso Dobles are my favourite- it's neck and neck with the tango, so I'm having a blast writing this. (And if you're confused, just youtube paso doble and you'll find many amazing ones.)**

**Sorry for the long AN. But I talk too much.**

**PLEASE REVIEW !**


	5. Chapter 5 : When I Say I Love You

_Chapter 5_

_You're free to leave me, but just don't deceive me_

"Ready and turn, turn, step, look, kick, turn, kick." With Ezra's instruction, they walked their way through the routine together, Aria struggling with all her might to keep up with Ezra's intense choreography. She hadn't expected the paso doble to be this hard- and she certainly hadn't expected to be this bad at it. From head to toe she was sweating, and her body was ready to collapse in a mix of frustration and despair.

It was just _so_ _much_ to figure out at once- when she actually got the steps right (which wasn't frequent by any means) they weren't _intense _enough. When they _were_ intense enough, they weren't sharp enough, and "her hips weren't straight". They hadn't had one good run since the time Ezra had tricked her into doing it right, and Aria was at the end of her patience.

"Just try and relax," Ezra crooned. "You're too tense about this, you're thinking too hard. Try and _feel_ the paso." He dabbed at the back of his neck with a towel, clearly oblivious to the utter cheesiness of his statement. "You won't get it until you calm down and let the dance take over you."

But it was just that that was Aria's problem. She didn't know _how_ to feel the paso doble. The tango had been easy- she'd been totally attracted to Ezra Fitz and the scandalous affair she'd shared with him had given them all the intensity they'd needed. They had basically _lived_ the mystery and heat the Argentine Tango was.

But the paso doble was different. They were supposed to be angry with each other; supposed to be duelling for pride and for passion, and it was really freaking hard to be angry at someone as beautiful as Ezra.

Aria huffed, agitated with herself and their lack of progress. She picked up her water bottle and squirted the lukewarm Gatorade into her mouth, before dropping it and going back to the paso's starting position.

"let's go again, from the top."

"Aria, stop." Ezra approached her slowly and took hold of both her arms, giving her wrists a gentle squeeze of reassurance. "Why don't we take a break? There might be a surprise for you." He wiggled his eyebrows and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

All week, Aria and Ezra had been preparing for the competition. As soon as work was over for the day, Aria was in the studio, relentlessly practicing with him. They had the entire three minute routine choreographed, but it was no where close to perfect. The time crunch and the progress level was putting huge pressure on the two of them, especially Aria.

On Tuesday, it had been time to decide on costumes.

_"I don't have the slightest idea about costumes," Ezra said, noticeably confused as he flipped through the costume catalog. "But I _don't_ think we should wear red- everyone always does red and I want to stand out on stage."_

_"Why don't we do black-and-white?" Aria suggested. "If it's a paso doble, we could go for an angel-devil sort of thing, like," and she smirked, teasingly breathing against his neck, "you're bringing me over to the dark side."_

Ezra hadn't taken much convincing.

As Ezra disappeared out of the studio to fetch their costumes, Aria sat down on the floor and buried her head in her hands. She felt like such an idiot, and really wanted nothing more than to be able to just get the damn dance straight. A wave of nervousness washed through her- what if she couldn't get it right in time for the competition? What if Ezra lost because of her? She let out an exasperated groan and rubbed her temples.

A few moments later, she looked up at the sound of someone in the doorway- and almost gasped at what she saw. Ezra was carrying a huge dry-cleaning bag, marked with the word "Spanish dress" and the design logo. Aria gulped in anticipation for the beautiful dress to be revealed.

Smiling, Ezra carefully unzipped the dry cleaning bag and reached inside. A second later the dress was revealed, and Aria stared at it, totally awestruck.

The torso was black sheer satin, embellished with a thousand or more tiny crystals and swirly white patterns of lace. It had long sleeves, with lace around the trim and silver sequins around the sleeves. Aria's favourite part of the dress, however, was the long, swoopy, dramatic white skirt.

Aria reached out and hesitantly brushed her fingers against the soft material of the skirt, admiring the way it rippled underneath her fingertips. She was transfixed by the beauty of the dress, and couldn't even believe she was going to get to wear it.

"Ezra, it's _beautiful_," she stammered, looking up at him appreciatively. He was grinning ear to ear.

"Why don't you go try it on?"

Aria smiled excitedly. "Really? Now?"

He nodded and handed the beautiful costume to Aria, watching her smitten expression. She hurried out of the studio and into the change room.

She shed her T-shirt and black shorts, then slid her body into the dress. It felt a combination between itchy and silky- but there was nothing negative she had to say about it as she looked at herself in the mirror. The ballroom dress was absolutely stunning, and Aria, while staring in the mirror, had never felt so beautiful in her entire life.

Fumbling with the zipper, she got it up her back as far she could, before exiting the small change room and prancing towards the studio. Shyly, she poked her head in, and located Ezra. He was standing in the corner, now wearing a glitzy tailcoat that matched her dress and a creepy opera mask on his face.

A smile spread across her cheeks. "You look awesome," she said softly, and Ezra looked up and found her, eyes widening in size as she stepped into the studio, dress twinkling.

"You look," he gulped, eyes roaming all over her. "More than awesome." His blue eyes absorbed every inch of her costume-clad body. He was dumbfounded.

Aria blushed, his lack of words the best compliment of all. She walked over to him, twirling around in the dress, holding onto her skirt and whipping it around.

Ezra took hold of her shoulder and gently eased the zipper all the way up, then said, "let's try it."

"The dance?" Aria stuttered nervously. "What if I tear it? I'm not good at this."

"You really have to boost your performance. The costumes will put you in character. Try not to look tight and nervous and hesitant," Ezra took her hand gently. "Relax, babe."

She sighed, stepping out to try again. She pinched the fabric of the skirt to flick it around, as she walked, exposing her legs. _This dance was so hot_.

"Go," on Ezra's words, Aria relaxed all of her muscles and walked to him, whipping around a moment later. With the dramatic turn of the beat of the music, Ezra intensely walked towards her from behind, hand on her neck, and started circling her. She raised one foot and stomped it down twice, before making an entire pivot turn into his arms. He held her, arms around their shoulders and the others outstretched to the side.

They turned and stepped out to the beat twice, using the "step out, step together" Chasse. They did it again, turning themselves in a circle and repeated the steps until they had made three rotations in total. Aria then swivelled, taking two dramatic steps back while facing him, bending her knees and going lower with every step. Finally, she ended up in a lunge split. They reached for each other's hands. Ezra grabbed her and pulled her up so that they were face-to-face- and then Aria dropped in his arms. Her back was straight, her knees bent, shoulders and neck only five inches from the floor. Ezra had her by the back of the neck, and even though the drop was dangerous and so easy to get wrong, she knew that he would _never_ let her fall.

Breath hitched, she opened her eyes to find Ezra's warm smile right next to her face. She grinned, feeling the surge of instantaneous pride that came with finally getting the entire combination right. Ezra set her back on her feet and chuckled.

"What did I tell you?" He peeled the white mask of his face. "That was amazing, I knew you could do it."

Aria bit her lip. "I guess this dress brought out my inner dark side."

"Oh really?" Ezra said, before twirling her and dropping her into a dip. "I thought that was my job." He found her lips and kissed her as furiously as possible. "I consider myself pretty devilish."

Jake furiously stormed through the Rumba Zumba Dance Company, irrationally livid. He was on a hunch- and he had a good feeling his hunch was correct.

A petite blonde girl sat at the front desk of the office, and wasn't doing much besides sitting back with her feet up, flipping through a fashion magazine. Jake approached her desk, dropping his car keys noisily on the surface to get her attention.

"Are you looking for registration?" asked the girl, setting her magazine down and sitting up straighter.

"I came to ask about something," Jake snapped shortly. "Do you think you could answer me?"

The girl raised an eyebrow. Her name tag read "Hanna".

"Depends what you're asking."

"Does Ezra dance here?" The word _Ezra_ was the only one he could remember from the night at the club. Well, the name Ezra, and Aria's lipstick.

"Are you talking about Ezra Fitz?" Hanna looked unamused. "As in our _dance_ _instructor _Ezra Fitz?"

Jake shook his head slightly. "Whatever. Does he have a partner?"

Hanna crossed her arms. "Why do you need to know?"

"Just answer my damn question," he ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"He's a competitive dancer, yes. He's doing a competition next week with his partner."

Jake exhaled deeply. He clenched his jaw before asking slowly, "Does her name happen to be Aria Montgomery."

Hanna knit her eyebrows. "Yeah, why?"

But Jake didn't give an answer. He was already turned away, through the front doors, storming towards his car. He had been right- she _had_ met someone else. She had met someone else through that _stupid_ dance class, and now this wonderful competitive dancer was about to win her over by competing with her. Aria had had an affair, and he had hit on her during it.

There were two options. He could forget about it and just let go, find some new girl to replace her, and let Aria be with that dancer.

But Jake had never been one to let things go. He wanted to get back at Aria and hurt her the same way she had hurt him- and as he reached his car, he realized just what he was going to do. A malicious sneer on his face, Jake slammed the Toyota's door and cranked up the radio.

He was going to sabotage their competition- _and_ their new relationship.

The Philadelphia Ballroom Competition was taking place in an old theatre, located in downtown Philadelphia. A brightly coloured sign greeted them at the front of the doors, and Aria felt her stomach flip with a rush of excitement and nervousness. Ezra squeezed her hand as he guided her into the theatre, equally as excited.

It was an open house for partners to come in and mark their places on the stage, and get comfortable with the theatre. Ezra wanted Aria to get used to the feel of performing on a real stage- and he also wanted to scope out exactly _what_ pairs of dancers were competing against them in the Latin category.

There were many people in the theatre, either sitting around chatting, stretching, or practicing. Aria eyed the beautiful dancers around her, envious of their long legs and strong abdomens. She watched the graceful, perfect movements they made, and she suddenly felt self unsure. _Her_

dancing didn't look that effortless.

Ezra looked around, still holding Aria's hand. He was carefully watching the dancers around him, and suddenly, he leaned to place his lips to Aria's ear.

"See that couple down there, in the purple?" he said softly, and Aria located the pair he was talking about. They were both dressed in purple, his dress shirt and her costume, and they stood with their noses in the air as if they were superior to everyone else.

"They're trouble," Ezra murmured. "They're _really_ good dancers, but they always lack in originality."

Aria nodded, but then said nervously, "_We_ have originality, right?"

Ezra chuckled. "Yes, Ar."

Suddenly, from where she was sitting, a long-necked brunette lady turned around in her seat. She was wearing a red tank top that was awfully revealing, and Aria noticed Ezra's eyes widening.

She jerked his hand, glaring up at him.

"Aria," he whispered frantically, beginning to scurry off to the side, pulling her with him. "What ever you do, don't make eye contact with her."

Aria was totally confused. "Who is she?"

Ezra pulled Aria into a theatre seat near the back. He gnawed his lip.

"Ezra," Aria pressed.

"That," he said in a singsong tone of voice, "that is Alexandria. My ex partner."

Aria looked at him funny, furrowing her brow. "You didn't tell me about an ex partner."

"Aria, she is my ex partner for a reason." He was saying it so passively, as if it were no big deal. "Trust me, Alex is not someone you need to _worry_ about."

Aria glared again. "I'm not some needy girlfriend. We've all had exes."

"I'm not calling you one. But just please don't talk to her- she likes trouble."

"Ezra Fitz, what a coincidence." A raspy voice said suddenly behind them, and Aria turned around to see who it was. Sure enough, it was Alexandria, and Ezra looked like he were about to die.

"It's nice to see you, Alex," he said flatly. "Are you competing too?"

Alex nodded, smirking. "Bruno and I are competing in the Latin category. You?"

"Latin as well." There was a tight, dry smile on his face. Aria observed his little tolerance for Alexandria and wondered why.

"Well I guess I should say, bring it on," Alexandria then offered the most fake, most irritating giggle Aria had ever heard and then scampered back away to her partner.

"She meant what she said," Ezra mumbled bitterly. "Aria, you have to beware this competition. I'm looking around- and it's cutthroat. If we even want to place, we're going to have to be on our a games, and we have to remember not to associate with the others. If we don't stay focused, we could get wrapped up in the wrong thing. And that's the least of what we want."

Aria nodded, gulping. She had to stay focused, and she had to get their paso doble right.

Even though Ezra had made it clear he didn't like Alexandria, she was still a bit irritated by the fact she hadn't told her about her.

_Just like she hadn't told him about Jake._

Aria dismissed that thought right away. Jake was gone. Out of the picture, and she didn't have to worry about him anymore.

"Do you want to stay here, or would you go somewhere else to practice?"

Aria answered almost immediately. "Somewhere else." She'd had enough anxiety today.

As they stood up to go, Ezra took her hand again. "Actually, why don't we call it a night? You could come back to my place?"

Aria looked up at his hopeful face and smiled. "That sounds great. I can make us some enhanced macaroni and cheese for dinner."

"Enhanced?" He laughed, nuzzling his face into the top of her head before kissing it softly. He pulled her into his side as they walked.

"Well, I'm only cooking fettuccine, so I wouldn't get your hopes up." They climbed into Ezra's car, giggling.

"Do you really think we have a shot at winning tomorrow?" Aria asked, softly, flexing the stiff muscles in thighs.

Ezra paused. "I don't know about winning, but I think we could place. We just have to bring it."

"Well then bring in on, Alexandria," Aria said, feeling genuinely ready to fight for the first time. She wanted this- she wanted this really bad. She just hoped nothing would get in their way.

But Jake had other plans.

**Uh oh, Jake knows about the affair! What is he plotting? You'll have to wait and see! **

**Thank you so much for the amazing feedback on this story, it means the world to me you're enjoying this as much as I am. I always appreciate it! Do you think you could get this to 100 reviews by next chapter? Haha, either way, thanks so much for the wonderful support. Love y'all! **

**Thanks to Catherine again for the motivation, she's awesome. ( .Forever) **

**See you next update!**


End file.
